Chetco River fishing report Archives - Brookings Fishing Reports

Steelhead arrive, lingcod bite between storms

BROOKINGS, Ore. (Dec. 14, 2023) – Fall salmon season is quickly coming to an end on the Southern Oregon coastal rivers, while the first steelhead of winter have shown up. Offshore fishing for lingcod and rockfish, meanwhile, remains good when weather conditions cooperate. Our saltwater captains have switched gears to steelhead, and will be running drift boat trips on the Chetco, Smith, Elk and Sixes rivers through March, but will also take customers on ocean bottom fishing charters during the winter as conditions allow.

**The first winter steelhead of the season caught with Capt. Andy on Dec. 13 on the Chetco by Scott of Denver. We will be running drift boat trips through March.**

We fish for steelhead from drift boats, with a guide rowing two customers downriver. Light spinning rods are used to cast small clusters of roe. Steelhead are known for their non-stop fight, and pound-for-pound are one of the most prized gamefish. They also are caught on some of the most beautiful stretches of river in the country. Capt. Andy, Mick and Travis have special use permits to take customers on the Wild and Scenic Upper Chetco, while Rye, Sam and Shane fish the lower end of the river, where hatchery fish are more abundant. All of our charter boat captains are also licensed river guides. For more information on river trips, visit www.wildriversfishing.com.

**Capt. Sam runs the falls on the Elk River. The coastal rivers of Southern Oregon offer great salmon and steelhead fishing, and are among the most beautiful anywhere.**

**A large king salmon caught on the Chetco this fall with Capt. Rye.**

**Capt. Mick holds a lunker fall king salmon caught by John Curry on the Upper Chetco.**

Salmon season was decent this year on the Chetco, with the best fishing in late October and early November. A few kings will continue to trickle in through the end of December, but the vast majority of the run has already spawned. We saw big numbers of hatchery kings this year, and a lot of jacks, a good indication of what’s in store next year.

**Nice limits of lingcod caught on the Dash in early November. Winter fishing for lingcod and rockfish is often good, as big fish move into shallow water to spawn.**

While the best weather of the year for ocean charter fishing is April through September, calm weather days in the winter months often lead to wide-open fishing. Lingcod spawn in shallow water, where they can be caught on light tackle in calm, protected coves. We will be running ocean charters as conditions allow this winter. Call (541) 813-1082 to get on our call list for winter fishing.

Gift certificates make great stocking stuffers! We offer gift certificates for ocean and river trips, and our tackle shop. They can be printed and mailed with brochures, or emailed as a PDF. Call (541) 813-1082 for information.

Here are some of the photos from this past salmon season with Capt. Mick, Rye, Sam, Andy and Shane.

**A 36-pound lingcod caught with Capt. Rye at Mack Arch in early November.**

Here are a few late-season lingcod and rockfish photos from November.

To book a trip, visit www.brookingsfishing.com or call (541) 813-1082.

Charter captains wrapping up steelhead season

Most of the captains for Brookings Fishing Charters run salmon and steelhead drift boat trips during the fall and winter on the Chetco and Smith rivers. Capt. Andy, Mick, Sam, Rye and Shane are finishing up their winter steelhead season, and preparing to shift gears to the spring and summer ocean seasons.

This year’s winter steelhead season has produced slower-than-average fishing, but our captains are still finding some nice steelhead. In a season where every bite counts, the difference between a couple of fish to the boat and getting skunked often depends on an experienced guide to maximize your chance at success. Our guides have often been the top-producing boats on the Chetco and Smith this season.

**A customer holds a nice Chetco River steelhead caught in February with Capt. Andy**

Low, clear water for much of the steelhead season has kept some of the steelhead from leaving the ocean and migrating upriver. A wet forecast to begin March could bring in fresh fish for the final part of the steelhead season, which runs through March on the Chetco River and April on the Smith River.

**Capt. Sam holds a beautiful Smith River steelhead.**

**Capt. Rye and a customer hold a steelhead from the Smith River.**

**Capt. Mick with a steelhead from the Chetco River.**

We catch steelhead fishing from drift boats on the wild and scenic sections of the Chetco and Smith rivers. Light spinning rods are used to cast small clusters of roe. Steelhead are known to be very hard fighters, and are prized because they are difficult to catch. Sometimes they are referred to as a fish of a thousand casts.

**Capt. Andy and a customer hold a large hatchery steelhead from the Chetco River.**

In March, Brookings Fishing Charters will be offering lingcod and rockfish trips daily, weather permitting. Capt. Mick, Rye and Sam also will continue to run steelhead trips on the Smith and Chetco rivers. To book a river or ocean charter, call (541) 813-1082. More information about river trips can be found at www.wildriversfishing.com. For ocean charters, visit www.brookingsfishing.com.

**Capt. Mick lifts the net after his customers enjoyed a double-hookup on the Smith River.**

**Customers hold the results of a double hookup on the Chetco with Capt. Andy.**

Here are some more great catches from the 2023 season with the Brookings Fishing Charters crew.

**Capt. Andy with a nice steelhead caught on a plug.**

Huge lingcod, lots of salmon highlight July 4 off of Brookings

(BROOKINGS, Ore. – July 5, 2022) – There were plenty of fireworks off the coast of Brookings during the July 4 weekend, including some phenomenal catches for the Brookings Fishing Charters crew. Fishing for silver salmon was wide open at times, with our six-pack charter boats hooking 30 or more silvers a trip, and bringing in limits or near limits of salmon. Most of the keepers were hatchery coho salmon, but a few nice king salmon also were caught.

One of the highlights from the weekend was a massive 44-pound lingcod caught by Rod Allec of Happy Camp, Calif., while fishing near the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse aboard the Nauti-Lady on July 2. The giant lingcod was one of many big lings caught aboard the Brookings Fishing Charters boats over the July 4 weekend.

July is peak season for ocean salmon, and the catch rates soared over the holiday weekend. The season runs through mid-August, so there is still plenty of time to get in on the action aboard our productive six-pack charter boats.

**Customers hold limits of hatchery coho salmon caught aboard the Miss Brooke with Capt. Sam on July 4, 2022**. The group also released numerous wild coho and shaker kings.

**Capt. Michael holds a nice king salmon caught aboard the Kraken.**

**Limits of salmon caught aboard the Dash with Capt. Mick.**

**Limits of salmon caught July 3 aboard the Kraken.**

**Deckhand Eric with some of the salmon and rockfish caught aboard the Kraken on July 4.**

The best salmon fishing has been in 240 to 300 feet of water off the coast of Brookings. Our six-pack charter boats quickly and comfortably get to the fishing grounds. No rough, wet ride in a flat-bottom sled boat designed for river fishing. Our six-packs are equipped with twin outboard motors and have fully enclosed cabins, combining safety with fishability. Below are more great salmon catches from the July 4 weekend with Brookings Fishing Charters.

Lingcod fishing was very good over the weekend. Some giants were caught at the Point St. George Reef during our long-range trips, but plenty of big lingcod also were caught closer to the Port of Brookings. The biggest lingcod, Rod Allec’s 44-poiunder, was caught during an exciting day aboard the Nauti-Lady, when Capt. Andy found several groups of big lings. Allec’s trophy was part of a triple-hookup, when three big lings were hooked at the same time.

**Nauti-Lady deckhand Eric holds a massive 44-pound, 45-inch**

**Three big lingcod were hooked at the same time aboard the Nauti-Lady on July 2. The day ended with a pile of lingcod on the boat.**

**Deckhand Eric shows off a couple of monster lings to visitors at the crabbing dock in Brookings.**

Our local half-day bottom fishing trips also produced nice limits of rockfish and plenty of big lings. We also caught a few Pacific halibut and petrale sold over the weekend. Here are just a few of the great bottom fishing catches aboard the Nauti-Lady, Miss Brooke, Kraken, Papa B, Dash and Bout Time during the July 4 weekend.

We hope to begin albacore tuna charters out of Brookings soon.

To book a fishing charter, visit www.brookingsfishing.com or call (541) 813-1082.

Salmon season heats up off of Brookings

BROOKINGS, Ore. (June 30, 2022) – After a fairly slow start to the ocean salmon season offshore from Brookings, the action heated up the second week of the season, with good catches of coho and kings. The Brookings Fishing Charters boats have been the top-producers among the sport fleet, bringing in limits or near-limits of salmon, while also releasing big numbers of shaker kings and wild coho.

Salmon season began June 18, but only hatchery coho could be kept. Starting June 25, wild or hatchery kings, along with hatchery coho, can be harvested. Fishing started out slow, in part because of windy weather, dirty water conditions, and the bulk of the fish holding well offshore. But early this week, the salmon moved a little closer to shore, and massive schools of bait arrived. The salmon fishing has been wide open at times.

**A nice king salmon caught aboard the Dash in June 2022.**

**Salmon caught in late June aboard the Miss Brooke.**

**Limits of hatchery coho and king salmon caught in late June aboard the Kraken.**

**More salmon caught aboard the Kraken in June 2022.**

Fishing also has been very good at the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse, where the Brookings Fishing Charters fleet heads during its long-range trips. The lighthouse area has been producing an excellent grade of big black, canary, vermilion, copper and other rockfish, and lingcod close to 30 pounds. A few large lingcod also have been caught recently at Mack Arch north of Brookings.

**A nice limit of lingcod from the Nauti-Lady in June 2022.**

For the salmon, Capt. Travis, Sam, Michael, Mick, and Rich also have reported their best fishing trolling anchovies close to the surface, but in deep water, sometimes 4 or 5 miles offshore. Some trips are yielding more than three dozen hookups, with lots of fish lost because of barbless hooks. The hatchery-to-wild ratio for coho salmon is nearly 50-50, meaning half the silvers landed can be kept. There are big numbers of shaker kings less than 24 inches, and then keepers from 5 to 15 pounds. Each day, fish in the upper teens also are being caught.

Salmon season runs through mid-August out of Brookings. The best fishing is generally the last week of June and first few weeks of July, meaning peak season is right now!

Lingcod and rockfish can be kept year round out of Brookings, but the summer months often lead to high catch rates, as the calmer weather this time of year results in better fishing. The Brookings Fishing Charters boats, including the Miss Brooke, Kraken, Nauti-Lady, Dash, Papa B and Bout Time, use light spinning tackle to target rockfish and lingcod. The light tackle adds to the thrill of catching these tasty fish.

Albacore tuna season begins in the summer, with late July or early August generally the most productive time to target tuna, as they move closer to shore.

To learn more about fishing charters out of Brookings, visit www.brookingsfishing.com or call (541) 813-1082.

Lingcod action good in Brookings

BROOKINGS, Ore. (April 22, 2022) – Charter boats fishing out of the Port of Brookings Harbor on the Southern Oregon Coast are continuing to enjoy solid action for lingcod and rockfish, with limits of both on calm weather days. A winter-like storm sidelined the fleet this past week, but conditions have improved for the weekend. Before the storm, fishing was nearly wide-open.

**Fishing has been good for lingcod and rockfish, as frequent customer Denise found out last week on the Miss Brooke.**

Lingcod are in shallow water, allowing anglers to catch them on light tackle. In recent weeks, the Miss Brooke, Nauti-Lady, Kraken, Papa B, Bout Time and Dash, all working out of the Brookings Fishing Charters office, have been getting customers into limits. Most of the fish are being caught in shallow water, from 30 to 60 feet.

**Capt. Mick sorts through limits of rockfish and lingcod aboard the Kraken.**

Last weekend, the six-pack charters from Brookings Fishing Charters, got into a surface bite for rockfish at Mack Arch. The rockfish are just under the surface, feeding on small baitfish and crab spawn. They can be seen splashing on the surface, and are being caught by anglers casting small swimbaits or curly tail grubs fished with light jigheads. Since Brookings Fishing Charters boats are equipped with light spinning rods, it’s easy to switch gear and start casting when rockfish are spotted splashing at the surface.

The lingcod are biting large herring, or scampis fished with leadheads. One of the tricks of the Brookings Fishing Charters captains in targeting lingcod is using a paddle tail swimbait combined with a small strip of herring or squid. It has been a deadly combination in recent weeks for big lingcod.

Ocean salmon season opens June 18 for coho and June 25 for kings out of Brookings, and continues most of the summer. Pacific halibut season opens May 1, the same day Brookings Fishing Charters will begin running trips to the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse between Brookings and Crescent City. The lighthouse is known as a hot spot for trophy-size lingcod.

Late June and early July is peak season for salmon out of Brookings. Last summer, the Brookings Fishing Charters crew enjoyed the best catch rates for ocean salmon on the Southern Oregon Coast.

To book an ocean charter out of Brookings, visit www.brookingsfishing.com or call the Brookings Fishing Charters booking office at (541) 813-1082.

**A limit of lingcod from the Miss Brooke.**

**Nice limits of lingcod and rockfish from the Papa B.**

**Full limits of lingcod in early April aboard the Miss Brooke.**

**The rockfish action has been fast and furious this month out of Brookings.**

**Frequent customer Barb with a nice lingcod and rockfish from the Miss Brooke.**

**Another nice limit of lingcod, this time from the Kraken.**

**A nice lingcod from the Kraken that fell for a swimbait and squid combination.**

**Lots of large rockfish have been keeping customers happy.**

**John with one of several lingcod he landed aboard the Kraken in April**.

**One of many lingcod caught last week on the Miss Brooke.**

**A nice vermilion rockfish from the Kraken at Mack Arch.**

**This nice lingcod was caught aboard the Miss Brooke.**

**Limits come fast when you double up on rockfish.**

**Capt. Mick with a nice lingcod from the Kraken.**

**A nice lingcod from the Kraken in early April**.

First big storms arrive on coast

Fishing for lingcod and rockfish was very good off the coast of Brookings in recent weeks until the first major storm of the fall season arrived and forced boats to stay in port. Brookings Fishing Charters reported limits of rockfish and lingcod during its Point St. George Reef Lighthouse trips, and a good rockfish bite at the inshore reefs in early November before the storms hit. Rough weather is expected through November.

Some of the nice lingcod from the end of October at the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse aboard the Miss Brooke of Brookings Fishing Charters.

After relatively calm seas, large waves and winds to 50 mph hit the coast during the Friday the 13th storm. The Coast Guard closed the bar crossing to all recreational vessels.

Big swells and strong winds made the Chetco River bar too dangerous to cross on Nov. 13, 2020.

The first major storm arrived overnight on Nov. 13, with winds to 50 mph and waves over 15 feet high. Heavy rain also fell. A series of storms is expected over the next week.

At the Point St. George Reef lighthouse, fishing was wide open before the storms, with limits daily of large rockfish, including lunker canary and vermilion rockfish, and lingcod to 25 pounds. Lots of blue and black rockfish also were being caught.

Phil of Grass Valley holds a pair of lunker vermillion rockfish caught as part of a double hookup at the Point St. George Reef lighthouse.

Halibut season ended Oct. 31 on the Southern Oregon Coast. The Nauti-Lady and The Dash each ran successful trips at the end of the season, with halibut to 30 pounds.

A nice Pacific halibut caught aboard the Nauti-Lady on Oct. 30.

The variety and grade of rockfish out of Brookings has been good in recent weeks. There are also plenty of smaller rockfish that have been released in the shallow water. The Brookings Fishing Charters fleet uses light spinning rods to catch rockfish in shallow water.

A nice grade a variety of rockfish and lingcod aboard the Miss Brooke.

Limits of lingcod for Phil and Vince aboard the Miss Brooke.

Bruce with a trophy Point St. George Reef Lighthouse lingcod.

The Nauti-Lady fishing for halibut off of Brookings.

Limits of lingcod and rockfish caught aboard The Dash at the Point St. George Reef lighthouse.

A limit of Mack Arch lingcod aboard the Miss Brooke.

A big jig tricked this big lingcod at the lighthouse.

With stormy weather, the Smith and Chetco rivers are on the rise, kicking off the drift boat salmon season for the Brookings Fishing Charters crew. Capt. Andy, Travis, Rye, Mick, Shane, Rich and Michael are also drift boat guides during the fall and winter months.

To learn more about river trips, visit www.wildriversfishing.com. For ocean charters, visit www.brookingsfishing.com.

Ocean charters will resume as weather conditions allow. Lingcod and rockfish season is open year round out of Brookings, and May 1-Dec. 31 at the lighthouse and out of Crescent City.

Lingcod, rockfish biting off of Brookings

A nice vermilion rockfish caught aboard the Miss Brooke in March 2020.

The 2020 ocean lingcod and rockfish season out of the Port of Brookings is off to a good start. The Brookings Fishing Charters fleet was the first charter company in Brookings to begin running charters this year, and the Miss Brooke, Papa B and ‘Bout Time have already run several dozen trips. When the weather is nice, fishing has been good, with limits of lingcod and rockfish. During rough weather days, rockfish are still biting well, but catch rates for lingcod have dropped.

A nice canary rockfish caught March 8, 2020, off the coast of Brookings aboard the Miss Brooke of Brookings Fishing Charters.

Overall, lingcod fishing has been good this season. There are big numbers of smaller male lingcod in shallow water, preparing to spawn. These fish are abundant and aggressive, and readily bite baits and jigs when the swell settles down. During a big swell, they hunker down and are somewhat more reluctant to bite. We have been catching lingcod as close at Chetco Point and south of the harbor, but generally are doing best between Bird Island and Mack Arch. We have already ventured to Mack Arch and Arch Rock several times this season.

An average-size lingcod from March 2020 aboard the Papa B. Lingcod fishing has been good so far this season.

Limits for rockfish and lingcod are unchanged for 2020. We can keep five rockfish a day, with any combination of black, blue and canary rockfish. Two lingcod a day may also be kept, in addition to the rockfish. The minimum size of lingcod remains 22 inches.

Ocean salmon season is expected to open in May. Final seasons will be set by the PFMC and ODFW in April. Pacific halibut season opens in May. We should start to see California halibut in early July. Brookings Fishing Charters Capt. Andy Martin was very successful at finding the CaliHali in 2019 near Brookings.

Pacific halibut season opens May 1 in Brookings. California halibut, like those pictured here, arrive in late June and early July. Capt. Andy will be running CaliHali trips again this summer in the guide sled.

We are now offering daily trips, as the weather allows, aboard the Miss Brooke, Papa B, The Dash, ‘Bout Time and guide sled. In March and April, trips will depart between 7 and 7:30 a.m. We will bump up the time in May.

Limits of lingcod from early March aboard the Miss Brooke. We have gone to Mack Arch several times already this season.

For daily fishing report updates, please visit our Facebook page, with is updated regularly by Capt. Andy. https://www.facebook.com/brookingsfishingcharters

To book a fishing charter, please visit our online calendar at www.brookingsfishing.com or call (541) 813-1082.

By popular demand, we have posted our favorite fish and chip recipes. Here is the beer battered fish and chips. http://brookingsfishing.blogspot.com/2016/03/easydelicious-beer-battered-fish-and.html

Here is the fish taco recipe. http://brookingsfishing.blogspot.com/2019/05/www.brookingsfishing.com.html

Salmon season begins on Chetco, Smith rivers

Jackie of Bend hold a nice Chetco River king salmon caught Oct. 23 with Capt. Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters.

The fall rains have increased flows on the Chetco and Smith rivers, kicking off the fall salmon season on both rivers. During the fall and winter months, Brookings Fishing Charters captains Andy Martin and Travis Sallander switch over to the drift boats to guide on both rivers. Andy and Travis are both licensed to guide in Oregon and California, and have special-use permits from the Forest Service to guide on the upper section of the Chetco. Only a very limited number of guides have these permits.
The Chetco rose to levels where drift boats could get down on Oct. 20. The first day of drift boat fishing produced limits for the handful of guides on the river.

Customers of Capt. Andy Martin holds limits of king salmon from the Chetco River.

The Smith River was fishable the following day, and Andy and Travis both caught limits there. By Oct. 23, both guides were back on the Chetco, which was in prime shape and fishing well.

Capt. Travis Sallander floats the Smith River just south of Brookings with customers fishing for salmon.

Salmon season will continue through mid-December on the Chetco and Smith rivers. Steelhead season follows, with fish in the river from December through March.
To book a trip, cal Brookings Fishing Charters at (541) 813-1082 or visit our river guide service page at www.wildriversfishing.com.

Southern Oregon Coast sportfishing charter

Tag: Chetco River fishing report